daranee

21 Articles

I am a Wallingford resident since 2011. I work as a Senior Software Developer at University of Washington. You won't find me on Facebook. I like cooking and food, the Sounders, international travel, Scotland, trivia, walking, cycling and running.

You can never start planning early enough for that special time when your first child is about to enter Kindergarten. Two years before my son was due to start Kindergarten, I toured four schools. It was helpful to find out early what my options were and to spend a year observing my kid and solidifying in my mind what place fit him the best.

Morning tours are great because you can see the kids in the class; however, I find that visiting a school during a school event like an Open House can be hugely beneficial too. To be able …

Ever since I have lived in Wallingford, the restaurant Joule has been a hit, and so I assumed it had always been that way. I’ve been reading My Rice Bowl, Rachel Yang’s new book, which I eagerly purchased on the day of its release in late September. Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi are chefs/owners at Joule, Revel and Trove. I love their restaurants.

According to the book, Joule wasn’t a huge success initially. They opened in November 2007 on N 45th Street in Wallingford and initially had some popularity and good reviews. However:

I was a fan of the classy restaurant Yoroshiku 4649 when it occupied only 1913 N 45th Street. Over the summer, they expanded to occupy the space next door (1911), where Tea House Kuan Yin was. They are now called just Yoroshiku, and that’s not the only thing that is different.

The decor has substantially changed. The entrance has moved to the newer side, which is a bar, while the older side is more like a restaurant. The bar side has a very long bar with a small selection of microbrews and a larger variety of cocktails. Sake and Japanese …

For weeks Wallyhood has been hearing reports of deer spottings. This morning I became one of the lucky few to see our newest resident. During a 7:30 morning coffee run to The Essential Baking Company, I spotted this gal munching on some goodies in my neighbor’s vegetable garden.

Is it the vacant lot on our street that attracts her here? Apparently she’s been spotted there a few times just hanging out. Her presence is certainly welcome.

Wallingford is known for its great murals, and over the summer Ryan Henry Ward did a beauty of one for Hashtag Recreational Cannabis. Wallyhood wrote about Hashtag when it opened in 2015. In our comments section, some were concerned about the location being close to a private daycare. Most people writing comments were unfazed, however.

This image was taken from Ryan Henry Ward’s facebook page.

Hashtag has now been open nearly two years and I haven’t heard of any issues about the store. In fact, neighbors seem to like them as the classy pot store. I spoke to a …

I snapped this picture of Bar Charlie in the newly finished Bowman Building. It’s not open yet, but it has a Facebook page.

The Brooks Building will be getting a new tenant in the retail space that faces N 35th Street. I saw an application for a liquor license from the Heavy Restaurant Group posted outside. They operate Purple among other restaurants.

Yoroshiku, a favorite of mine when it comes to ramen, will be expanding into the space next door formerly taken by Teahouse Kuan Yin. This information is …

One of my favorite Wallingford excursions is taking the kids on the bike and going to Montlake Playfield. My route is almost all dedicated trail from my house and so I’m not too worried about the combination of cars and kids and bikes. My five-year old is hitched up to my bike on a Follow Me, and my two-year old rides on a co-pilot child seat.

Montlake Playfield is a hidden gem of a park. The climbing jungle gym is a step up from most parks. It’s high, and you’ll probably want to wait at the bottom of the slide …

Wallyhood is dedicated to fostering community and communication in the Wallingford neighborhood. A group of volunteer editors rotate the responsibility of managing the site, and we welcome stories from all our neighbors.

This week’s editor is ​Jack McLaughlin. You can contact the editor-of-the-week at [email protected].

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